There are certain things in life that make me feel at home.
Good people and the ones I love, a crackling fireplace in the winter, a pool in the hot summer days, a great kitchen for entertaining, the ability to instantly create an environment and experience that’s not interrupted by BS are among those things. Add in the ability to tap into the smart technology to pull it all together in a way that makes life easier and uncomplicated, and you are talking about my perfect home experience.
As a lover of good life, people and technology, I tend to surround myself with tools that can bring us closer together, keep us safe and make life more enjoyable at home and wherever I go with my family.
Here are some amazing home tech gift ideas popping in 2021.
PlayStation 5
The leading gaming console is still tough to get your hands on in 2021. Sony’s strategy to build out exclusives like Deathloop is driving demand higher. 2022’s forecast is also looking promising with long-awaited sequels God of War and Horizon Zero Down series.
Nintendo Switch OLED
They’ve improved the Switch with a larger 7-inch OLED display and hooking it up to the big screen of your TV to make game play huge is another way to play on Nintendo Switch. The enhanced kickstand design and bigger 64GB storage is a great refresh to a solid family-friendly game system.
Amazon TV
Introduced in 2021, Amazon is selling their own branded Amazon Fire TV series starting with this 43-inch 4-series 4K UHD smart TV. The higher end Amazon Fire TV Omni series ranges from 43, 50, 55, 65 and 75-inch.
Roku Streambar
Just wait to hear what this tight easily mounted 2-in-1 audio soundbar and streaming device does to wake up home theatre sound with the best streaming connection device on the planet. Roku just nails it with this entertainment product that instantly upgrades any TV experience.
You will love the crisp, cinematic sound from the Roku Soundbar whether you are tech-savvy or just simply want this powerful simple solution to amazing sound that will move your soul while connecting you to a virtual heaven of every important streaming service on the planet.
Apple AirPods 3
The latest generation of the award-winning wireless earphones with up to 30 hours of total listening time with the case and 6 hours of listening on a single charge. While these are not noise-canceling, they do have the new Spatial Audio technology with Dolby Atmos that makes audio sound 3-D.
Bose Frames audio sunglasses
These stylish sunglasses are so much more with the built-in wireless headphones. The audio technology in the frames is revolutionary working with loud, deep sound coming from the frames without the need to put anything in or over your ears. The latest Bose Frames styles have a battery life of up to 8 hours between charges.
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Apple iPad Pro
The world’s fastest tablet just got better with the newest iPad Pro 11 and 12.9 inch models. The blazing fast Apple M1 chip is fast like a Ferrari and the beauty of the screen shows in the latest Liquid Retina display technology. Now that Apple’s latest iPadOS 15.1 software allows for much easier use of writing, consider adding an Apple Pencil to handwrite on apps and watch it automatically convert to text with stunning accuracy.
Oblio Wireless Charger with UV Sanitizer
It looks more like a bucket for your phone. The wireless charging station that doubles as a UV disinfection machine scrubs bacteria from your smartphone. Beautiful design fits in any decor.
Canvas Light Panels
I got a sneak peek at these interactive creative light panels from Nanoleaf at an exclusive Apple event showing how you can use Siri to control lighting. If mood can be set by light, you are going to be very happy with how easily you can create designs with these square light panels that change colors and link to one another.
Kishi Mobile Game Controller
Here’s a winner for the gamer in your life no matter what they use for having fun with games. You just pick Android or iPhone from the list. This is designed to bring console-type control to your smartphone for gaming anywhere.
Disney+ subscription
A year of Disney+ is $80 for this must-have streaming service if you’ve got kids or grandkids coming through the house. On top of the Disney library that includes National Geographic, Marvel superhero franchise, Pixar and Star Wars, you can also bundle with other streaming services Hulu and ESPN+.
Apple Watch series 7
Always on Retina display has nearly 20% screen area than the previous Apple Watch. Now you can measure your blood oxygen, ECG and get notifications for irregular heartbeat. This is the strongest, most advanced smart watch ever made.
Trova Go Smart Home Safe
This small portable lockbox unlocks with the owner’s biometrics. Whether you are keeping medication safe, jewelry or cash this small biometric lockbox can do it.
Theragun
Using percussive therapy to work on tightness, sore muscles and trigger points, the Theragun basic massager gets high customer reviews for it effectiveness.
Sony Alpha a7C Mirrorless Digital Camera with 28-60mm Lens
Ask a photographer what is important in a digital camera to capture extraordinary shots, this Alpha introduced as the smallest and lightest will be at the top of their list. Pros can go manual and amateurs can go ‘auto’ mode to take professional looking photos.
JBL Go 3 Compact Speaker
Great around the house or on the go. The JBL Go 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker with built-in rechargeable battery delivers big audio in a small package. Jam out in the backyard or wherever up to 5 hours on a single charge.
Ring Light with 50” tripod
Want to know how some people look so much better in their video calls and selfies? It’s the lighting. This extendable tripod with 10 inch ring light is perfect for live streaming, video calls and creating amazing looking videos.
Magnetic Phone Mount with Face Tracking
Belkin invented this smart mount that swivels with you as you are watching a show on the screen and doing a video call while moving around the room like cooking in the kitchen (where I tested it).
Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus
The biggest competitor to Apple AirPods from Samsung with up to 11 hours of continuous sound on a single charge. And get this, just 3 minutes of charging in the case gets you 1 hour of play time. Both Android and iOS compatible.
Courant CATCH:3 ESSENTIALS Wireless Charger & tray
I’ve just put this on my nightstand and absolutely love it. This about the most beautiful and functional Q1 certified wireless charging pad combined with premium Italian leather catch all that works with both late model iPhone and Android phones.
Sonos Roam Portable Speaker
Front yard, back yard, poolside or anywhere an adventurous soul is found, the new Sonos Roam portable speaker has a 10 hour battery life, uses WiFi and bluetooth, is AirPlay 2 compatible for iPhones and simply a work of art and audio in one tight IP67 waterproof package.
AirTags
What can I say other than in the past year since its introduction, I have been testing the AirTag tracker everywhere. We have one on our dog, luggage, standup paddle board, wallet, backpack and even one in the car. The amazing thing is that there no subscription needed and the battery last a year before needing to be replaced. Simply the best tracker on the market.
Additional gift ideas from Kurt:
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